As the New Year begins to roll in, we're often left thinking about ways to de-clutter our lives, our homes, and our schedules. Organizing is never closer to our minds and our hearts as it is right now, that's why I think you'll find this article very informative and enlighting.

You are known as the nation's leading home office expert, how did you come to acquire that title?

As the author of four books that cover working from home, I have become nationally known. The books and articles I have written have given me credibility.

Prior to starting a home office organization consulting business, what did you do?

I have a degree in Journalism, so after college, I sold radio time for two years, planned special events for the Macy's stores in the Midwest, then worked for Universal Press Syndicate's licensing division. All of those jobs gave me the skills to go out on my own. My business didn't start out as a home office organization business. Instead, I organized homes.

My next step was to limit my organizing services to home offices. After that, I moved away from home office organization and focused more on home office design, physical set up (furniture, etc.), making a home business grow, and increasing publicity.

Do you still organize offices?

I no longer organize offices. For the past six years, I've been writing books, articles and serving as a corporate spokesperson for various companies.

How did you get your start in this business?

I sent out news releases to everyone in the city (at the time it was Kansas City and I knew many people in the news media) and they wrote about my business. Also, I was a guest on every local television show.

What was the hardest part about starting your own business?

The hardest part was educating people about the organizing business and why they needed my help.

What was the easiest part?

The easiest part was staying motivated. What I kept in mind throughout my early days was that if for some reason my business failed, I wouldn't have any problem finding another job. After sixteen years, I'm still self-employed!

What do you like best about owning your own business?

Being my own boss and setting my own hours.

What was one of the hardest home offices you have consulted on, and why?

One of the hardest was the winner of a national contest I sponsored with a magazine and the winner didn't want to get rid of a thing. Part of his prize package was a new scanner. He thought that I would spend the entire time scanning ALL of his papers, when most of them needed to be tossed. This was several years ago.

I am always helping friends organize their disorganized offices, but I always end in saying something like, "This is your office, find your personality and style and incorporate that into your office and you'll find yourself more productive." Do you feel that organizing to one's personality and tailoring to one's business, makes a home office more productive?

Yes. In my latest book, Home Office Life: Making a Space to Work at Home, I describe various work styles and how it's important to avoid fighting your natural work style. Otherwise, after you take the time to get organized according to someone else, you'll slip back into your old habits.

Let's say that you met a business person who has a habitual habit of simply stacking papers in piles because he/she doesn't know how to file in a way that will help him/her remember where those important papers are, what bit of advice would you offer?

I'm a big fan of stacking bins (they are bigger than trays and sit on the floor near the desk). You can label each bin (ie. to read, to file, incoming mail, etc.) to make sorting and processing information easier. Also, separate all reading material from work in process. Much of the clutter in offices is old newspapers, magazines, newsletters and printed e-mails.

I believe that self-discipline plays a strong factor in staying organized and running a successful business. What strategies might one use to gain self-discipline in keeping one's office organized?

Make the decision that you want to stop wasting time and find ways to do it. One is to use some type of to-do list (pre-made or designed by you) and use it. Also, be ruthless about paper and only keep what you know you'll use again.

Even the most organized person in the world can still end up with office clutter. What is your favorite tip for de-cluttering an already established office?

Set up your office so like items are placed together. Printer supplies should be in one place, a phone message pad near the phone, extra office supplies together, etc.

A lot of my readers are freelance writers, and parents looking for a way to bring in extra cash, for the freelance writer, how would you suggest he/she file clippings of articles that he/she plans to use as a resource for a future article?

Use hanging folders labeled with a main category, for example "Marketing ideas," then label interior (manila folders) "small business, "online marketing ideas," etc. Some people like to use notebooks to file. If so, invest in clear plastic sheets to hold articles. An accordion file labeled by topic works well too. There are many products available to fit all organizing styles.

Visit her at http://homeofficelife.com/